!st Try Bismuth/Tin 281 Stuck in Do-It Dart Mold

[cat_in_the_hat]

Looking to make my own lead-free sinkers and shad darts for Massachusetts. Ordered Bismuth/Tin 281 from Rotometals and bought a Lee Precision Production Pot IV. Alloy melted and at minimum pot setting temperature 500 degrees. Poured into shad dart mold without hooks to test fill, and they filled well, but I cannot get the darts out of the mold. Trying to knock them out one of the darts broke and is still stuck. Anyone have experience using Bismuth/Tin 281 in Do-it molds and can advise me?

[Mike J]

I can't help because I've never tried this, but welcome and thanks for sharing what not to do lol.  Seriously though hopefully someone here can help you with this problem. Sounds like something I would try!

[BareKnuckleJigs]

In the past I bought some straight Tin for the same, but I haven't used it yet.

I did, however, receive Enlightenment from Mr. PJM that, for pouring Tin, coat the mold with Frankford Arsenal Mold Release, I forget exactly what the Model Name is, but it's intended for pouring Your own Bullets (lead) but apparently it works for pouring Tin.

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Try and put your mold on top of your pot and see if you can get the mold heated up so you can get it out. They do have some mold release here but I only pour lead and haven't had a need for it.

[BareKnuckleJigs]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/763758/frankford-arsenal-drop-out-bullet-mold-release-agent-and-lube-6-oz-aerosol

[brandx112679]

  Without treating your mold with the frankford mold release, or simular product you will spend more time trying to get you tin or bismuth out  of the mold than its worth. Heating the mold, to a setting to where you can pour it back out is your best bet. Prying around under the product will only scar up your mold. Only my 2 cents.

[smalljaw]

You need to use drop out and you can't fool around, pour and get them out immediately. Unlike lead that shrinks a bit, the tin/bismuth alloy actually expands a bit, the first time I tried it I had to take my torch and melt the jigs out of the mold.

[Denny Welch]

Welcom to the forum, Cat.  We usually don't see such a flurry of activity from first-time posters.  I hope the replies were helpful.

[Partycrasher]

It has to be something to do with the bismuth because I've poured tin for 25 years and they just drop out.  Never had one pure tin lure stuck in a mold ever.
Marc

[cat_in_the_hat]

OK, I have the good news, and the bad news, both from the same act. Got the bright idea of putting aluminum foil down on my smoothtop stove, placing the Do-It mold with bismuth on it and heating the mold to above 281 degrees. Worked like a charm, bismuth melted and ran out onto the aluminum foil and the mold was clear. Went to pick up aluminum foil and it had melted into the glass stove top. Repairman is coming Tuesday, new top $600 plus labor.

The mold release spray is on order from Amazon, really needed lighter weight inline trolling sinkers for Massachusetts, so tried candle flame soot on the inside of that mold and successfully made a batch of sinkers that worked out really well.

The Lee Precision Production Pot IV intended only for non-lead use seems very hot, at lowest possible setting bisimuth/tin 281 reaches 640 degrees. Is this correct for this model pot? My Lee Precision Pro 4 for lead runs a fair bit cooler.